If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. ',' • BASIC COURSE INSTRUCTOR UNIT GUIDE (___ 1_) ( ______H_IS_T_O_R_Y_,_P_R_O_FE_S_S_IO_N_A_L_IS_M __ A_N~D_E_T_H_IC_S ______ ~ " ( February 1995 ) 155771 U.s. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice This document has bee,n, reproduced exactly as received from the person or organization orlglnat!ng it. Points of view or opinions stated in • this d~cumen~ ?re thos~ of the authors and do not Ilecessarily represent the official positron or policies of the National Institute of Justice, Permission to reproduce this copyrighted materia 'las been graJl1ed. tw . , ca~fornia Oornrnission on Peace OffJ.cer standards and Training to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reprodu-:.tion outside of the NCJRS system requires permission of the copYright owner. THE COMMiSS90~ • ON P~AC~ OFfiCER ~rfAN~ARD$ ANO l'RAINYNG • The curricula contained in this document is designed as a guideline for the delivery of performance-based law enforcement training. It is part of the POST Basic Course guidelines system developed by California law enforcement trainers and criminal • justice educators in cooperation with the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. • • II UNIT GUIDE 1 II TABLE OF CONTENTS Learning Domain 1 History, Professionalism, & Ethics Curriculum Page I. Historical Evolution of Law Enforcement 1 II. Characteristics of a Profession ............................... 11 III. Defining Values, Principles, Ethics, and Moral Standards as They Relate t,o Law Enforcement ........................... 13 IV. Community Expectat:0ns Regarding the Lawful and Ethical Behavior of Peace Officers .... 15 V. Benefits of Professional and Ethical Behavior .................... 19 VI. The Law Enforcement Code of Ethics ... 21 VII. "Code of Professional Conduct and Responsibilities for Peace Officers" ....................................... 23 • VIII. Examples and Potential Ramifications of Unethical or Unprofessional Conduct .................................... 25 IX. The Concept of Intervention ................................. 29 X. Preventing and Correcting Unethical Behavior 33 Supporting Materials and References • ---~-----------.----. CURRICULUM • I. HISTORICAL EVOLUTION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT A. The history of law enforcement is the history of striving to provide social stability. 1. Because crime in some form has always been with the human race, there is a need for control of human conduct. 2. The legal authority for 1i:1W enforcement agencies in the United States is derived from the people as documented in: a. U. S. Constitution 1Jth Amendment - Power not delegated to the States by the constitution or prohibited by it to the States are reserved for the States. b. California State Constitution (1) Article 11-11 - permits cities and counties to enact regulations for: (a) Law enforcement (b) Other public safety agencies (2) Article 11-8-12 - establishes power to create, by cities and counties: • (a) Law enforcement (b) Courts (c) Schools B. Historical development of American law enforcement 1. Law enforcement development went through five distinct stages: a. Early history from prehistoric period to pre-industrial England. b. Extension of industrialization from England during the U. S. colonial period. c. American colonial development until early industrial period. d. Urbanization of America when people moved from farms to the large industrial cities. e. The modern police period which began sometime after World War II. C. Early law enforcement 1. Prehistoric man was a member of a small family group which remained together • for mutual protection from the environment. a. The very first primitive men stayed apart from each other. (1) Survival was of foremost importance. (2) Mankind was never without some form of law. • (3) The strong could be independent. (4) The meek and weak were compelled to unite for survival. b. Early man banded together for protection from beasts and other men. The strongest and most dependable persons were assigned to keep watch CIt . night. c. As family groups formed into tribes, they appointed the most reliable men to protect the interest of the clan. (1) They protected their clan against hostile clans. (2) They enforced customs or regulations developed by their tribe. (3) They established a Kin Policing System. d. Punishment for violation of rules or nonconformity was quick and best characterized by the principle of "an eye for an eye." 2. Society became more sophist~,cated and complicated eventually leading to laws and law enforcement. a. Laws which, in many cases, were passed by word of mouth were recorded • and codified (organized in a logical order and published for all to know). b. This codification created the need to define what a crime was, as well as to set a punishment or penalty. c. This established the concepts of: (1) The punishment must fit the crime. (2) The more serious the crime, the more serious the punishment. d. The advent of more complicated laws generated the need for a structure or mechanism for enforcing the laws. (1) Initially, laws were enforced without courts. (2) Laws were usually enforced by the military or some other form of law enforcement. e. Rule of the Middle East by kings brought the onset of definitions of crimes. 2 • --~-----------------------------------------------.----~---------------------------- (1) The Babylonian king, Hammurabi, is given credit for establishing the first code of offenses and their corresponding penalties. (2) Enforcement became the primary duty of special officials appointed by • the king. (3) This per}od, was the "classical" school of criminology. , (4) Hundreds of years would pass before any semblance of a court system as we know it would emerge. f. The rise of the Greek city-state also brought similar development. (1) Instead of the king being the sole power, the citizens were the source of power. (2) The concept that power for law enforcement came from the people in Athens. 3. The Roman military was a prime force in the enforcement of Roman law. a. This became the model for other nations and is still found in some nations today. b. Soldiers were used to patrol streets (an extension of Caesar's authority). c. The uniform was the symbol of authority. d. Other nations copied the Roman military police system. 4. There is little or no recorded history of law enforcement for the first five centuries following the decline of the Roman Empire. 5. Not until the "Feudal System" of England, 700 AD., has a pattern of law enforcement been traced. 6. The following 1100 years produced changes which are still reflected in our policing system today. 7. The beginnings of contemporary law 'enforcement originated in England around the year 871 AD. during the Anglo-Saxon Period (700 AD. to 2000 AD.). a. A system which had its development in France established the responsibility of each man for his neighbor. b. Group responsibility for each man resulted in the English community type policing system (called Shires). (1) The Frank Pledge System was an attempt to solve the crime problem by making the entire community responsible. (a) Criminal activity increased because of this self-government rule. 3 ~I ____________m- ________________________________________________________________________________ ---------- (b) The concept of each man being responsible for the crimes of another led to corruption because crimes went unreported. (2) King Edward I created the first official police forces in large towns of England. • (3) Sheriffs were appointed by the kings to maintain peace in the various Shires during the Norman Period. b. During the Norman Period, (1000 A.D. to 1200 A.D.), there was a further defining of the power of the state as well as defining its law enforcement responsibilities. (1) William the Conqueror brought about the following: (a) National rule vs. local rule (developed a national court system) (b) Taxation at national level with the sheriff becoming the tax collector . c. In 1215, King John, under duress, signed the Magna Carta, which marked the birth of British democracy. (1) The Magna Carta guaranteed basic civii and political liberties to the people as well as to the nobles. (2) It became the first major effort under English law to define the powers of the King and the church and it had a major effect on subsequent developments. • d. During the Winchester period, the Statute of Winchester became a genuine effort to establish a police system known as the "Watch and Ward" (1285 to 1500). (1) As derived from the Statute of Winchester, the "watch and ward" system was set up to (a) give protection to free men. (b) define limits of interference with a man's freedoms. (2) Certain positions of modern law enforcement came into operation during this period: (a) Sheriff - law enforcement responsibilities were defined. (b) "Watch and Ward" guards - night and day guards in walled cities (c) Bailiff as chief city police officer (d) Private police or commercial police hired by merchants 4 • -------------------------------.----------------------------------------------------- (e) Sergeant or b~iliff assistant (3) Certain concepts and practices also came into operation during this • period: (f) English national court system created (g) Terminology - the law, felony Md misdemeanors, was defined (h) The following concepts were developed: 1} Citizen's arrest 2) Fresh pursuit 3) Suspension of sentence 4) Release on own recognition e. A return to military type rule